A young man graduated from college, but for some reason or other, he couldn't find a job. Weeks of searching turned into months and still no job. After a while, he reached the point where he was desperate. His family was languishing and feeling the effects of his joblessness. Soon, however, his persistence in looking for a job was finally rewarded. He found a job selling shoes. It wasn't the job he wanted, but the family had to be fed, the mounting bills had to be paid.
It wasn't long after he started working as a shoes salesman that he found out he hated his job. He hated it with a passion. He hated stacking shoes in the backroom, he hated showing shoes to customers, he even hated the smell of leather. At home, he grumbled to his wife about the despicable job he had. When he talked with friends, he talked to them about how he hated and despised his job. And, oh, how he hated getting up in the mornings. One day a friend suggested to him to go to the library and just read up on shoes. What was there to lose?
Reluctantly, he went to the library. At the library, he read up on shoes. He read about the history of shoes, the different types of shoes that are made. Then, he read about how shoes are dyed, on and on he read. The more he read, the more fascinated he became about shoes. The more knowledgeable he became, the more excited and enthusiastic he became about his job. He shared his wealth of knowledge on shoes with his family, his friends, and his customers. His attitude about his job took a dramatic change, and in time he was promoted to a higher level position. Soon, more promotions came until finally he was promoted to the very top position of the company--the President of the Florsheim Shoes Corporation.
We, too, have searched long and hard for a "job". We found one when we found
the Lord Jesus Christ and accepted Him as our personal Lord and Saviour. We sold everything
in order to purchase the Pearl of great price. This Pearl of great price has commissioned us
to go out into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature baptizing them in the name
of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are His witnesses to "sell" Him to
those around us.
How are we doing in this job? Do we grumble and complaint? Do we hide our
lights under a bushel and keep our Christianity a secret? And when we do talk of Christ to
others, are we excited? Is our excitement and enthusiasm about Him contagious? If not,
could it be that maybe we need to go to the "library" and read up on Him and be more
knowledgeable about Him?
We need to be knowledgeable of the Pearl of great price before we can become
successful in the job that He has commissioned us to do, don't we? The following are counsels
that would help us in our efforts to impart a knowledge of the Pearl of Great Price to others.
"The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: who,
when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
Matt. 13:45, 46.
"Christ is the Pearl of great price. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. In
Eden, before the heavenly universe...and before Satanic agencies, God declared that the eternal
Son was to be given as the ransom for a fallen world. The Seed of the woman should bruise the
serpent's head, and it should bruise His heel." --Signs of the Times, 01/04/1899.
"The righteousness of Christ, as a pure, white pearl, has no defect, no stain.
No work of man can improve the great and precious gift of God. It is without a flaw. In
Christ are "hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Col. 2:3. He is "made unto us
wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption." 1 Cor. 1:30. All that can
satisfy the needs and longings of the human soul, for this world and for the world to come,
is found in Christ. Our Redeemer is the pearl so precious that in comparison all things else
may be accounted loss. . . ." --Maranatha, Page 72.
"Those who have found the pearl of great price, those who have discovered the
hidden treasure, are to impart their knowledge to those with whom they come in contact. Many
really desire to find the heavenly treasure, but know not where to look or how to prosecute
their search. Let every soul who has found Jesus reveal that fact that he is a present help
in every time of need. Whenever we gather for worship, there are souls who are seeking for
the treasure. To all appearance they are living careless, heedless lives. But those who have
found the world's hope, those who talk of the precious truth, those who unfold the heavenly
treasure, will be as lights to these stumbling souls. Fainting, discouraged, almost hopeless,
they may be put in possession of every essential truth, and may accept Christ as their teacher.
They will then comprehend the far-reaching principles of truth, and the plan of salvation will
appear in a new aspect to them. The natural man cannot see the beauty of loveliness of the
truth which rewards the search of him who has been illuminated by the truth as it is in Jesus.
But those who have had the light may impart light to those who are in darkness."
--The Youth's Instructor, 03/12/1896.
"The followers of Christ are to imitate his example, and scatter and broadcast
the seeds of divine truth. They are to tell all with whom they come in contact, that
Jesus Christ came into our world and assumed our nature, in order that God might be glorified
in humanity, in order that humanity might be uplifted and glorified in Christ. All heaven
rejoices at the redemption of the lost race. Christ rejoiced in the secret consciousness of
what he purposed to do for man. He desires to do far more abundantly than we are able to ask
or think. The fountain of his inexpressible love is inexhaustible, and it flows toward all
those who believe in him, who are willing to practise self-denial and to suffer reproach for
his name. When we submit to truth, we submit to its Author. The Holy Spirit works within us,
casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of
God, and brings into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. Through sin the heart
and the mind have been defiled and enfeebled, but Jesus came to impart moral power, to reshape
moral taste, to fashion man after the divine similitude, and to elevate humanity in the scale
of moral value with God.
"If we would learn of Christ, we must have the faith which works by
love and purifies the soul. Faith is valueless if it does not work by love and expel from the
soul all selfishness, all pride and self-righteousness. Assent to the truth will never win
heaven; but those who tremble at the word of the Lord, who desire to know and do his will,
will not be disappointed in their hope of heaven. Those who make room in their hearts for
Jesus, who know by experience what it is to have him as a present Saviour, will realize that
he loves and pities them, and with gladness and earnestness they will labor to set forth Christ
crucified and risen again, and will draw souls to him. Blessing others, they will be richly
blessed themselves. They will seek for largeness of heart, will have enlarged opportunities
and abundance of thanksgiving. They will pray as did Moses that the presence of God may be
with them continually, and they will seek for the goodly pearl of great price, sacrificing
all that they may obtain it." --Youth Instructor, 03/12/1896.
"Arouse every spiritual energy to action. Tell those whom you visit that the
end of all things is at hand. The Lord Jesus Christ will open the door of their hearts, and
will make upon their minds lasting impressions. Strive to arouse men and women from their
spiritual insensibility. Tell them how you found Jesus, and how blessed you have been since
you gained an experience in His service. Tell them what blessing comes to you as you sit at
the feet of Jesus, and learn precious lessons from His Word. Tell them of the gladness and
joy there is in the Christian life. Your warm, fervent words will convince them that you have
found the pearl of great price. Let your cheerful, encouraging words show that you have
certainly found the higher way. This is genuine missionary work, and as it is done, many
will awake as from a dream." --Christian Service, Page 124.
Have we sold everything in this life to obtain the Pearl of Great Price? Have we gained an intimate and saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ? If we do, we will desire to make known to others His matchless love and tender mercy. We will help others see the beauty and loveliness of the truth as it is in Jesus and reflected in our own lives. When they see the beauty and loveliness of the character of Christ in us, they will desire to sell everything that they have so that they, too, will obtain this Heavenly treasure--the Lord Jesus Christ, the Pearl of Great Price.
